Leo Santa Cruz - 31-0-1, 17 KOs - is ready put on a show for his hometown of Los Angeles. This Saturday, the undefeated LA native will defend his title against former world champion Kiko Martinez - 35-6, 26 KOs - in a matchup that most aren’t expecting to be competitive.
But that doesn’t mean Cruz is taking it easy.
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Saturday, February 27
Honda Center, Los Angeles, CA
Kiko Martinez +1117
Leo Santa Cruz -2177
ODDS ANALYSIS
Since last week, Santa Cruz’ lines has moved nearly 400 points deeper into chalk territory, while Martinez has gone from +1000 to +1117. That’s a huge shift for the champion, although he was extremely expensive to begin with. But you have to consider the huge step down in competition that Santa Cruz is taking after his most recent victory over Abner Mares, a former three-division champion.
If anything, the matchup against Martinez puts the onus on Santa Cruz to win impressively. Anything less than utter domination would be a disappointment. The champ seems to know this.
“I always try my best to give the fans great fights, and that’s what I’ll try to do in this one too,” Santa Cruz said in an interview with the LA Times. “Kiko is an opponent who’s perfect to give that kind of fight. He comes forward, never backs down, trying to land those big hooks. A fight against him is going to be very exciting and entertaining.”
Spain’s Martinez has won three straight fights and four of his last six. However, all of those wins have come against low-caliber opponents, and both those losses were lopsided defeats in title bouts. Nobody really considers Martinez a legitimate threat to Santa Cruz, and it sounds like the Spaniard is just happy to be here.
“I’m thrilled for the opportunity to face off against Leo Santa Cruz on February 27,” he said. “Santa Cruz is clearly one of the very best featherweights in the world, but I have what it takes. Leo and me are true warriors, and this fight will be a brutal war. Leo is a top-10 pound-for-pound fighter. I am very conscious of that.
Martinez is right that this is going to be brutal, but it probably won’t be for Santa Cruz. The 27-year old needs to be in the ring with the likes of Viktor Postol or Carl Frampton. It shouldn’t be a difficult night for one of the best in the world at 126 pounds.
BETTING VALUE
It’s all Santa Cruz to win, but man is he expensive. You might want to head to the sportsbook and check out the over/under and prop bets, which should net you a much better payout.
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With BookMaker Sportsbook, you can bet on boxing all year, from regional cards to pay-per-view events. Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker Sportsbook. You can even wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. Santa Cruz-Martinez takes place Saturday, February 27 at the Honda Center in Los Angeles, CA. The Showtime Championship Boxing card will be televised live on Showtime starting 10 p.m. ET.
